Colonel Sergei Shaptala of 128 Mukachevo Brigade has Golden Star Order and the title of Hero of Ukraine

Russian Investigative Committee reopened the criminal case against the Ukrainian military officers; this time in the list of six commanders there is a Hero of Ukraine Sergey Shaptala who led the 128th Brigade of Zakarpattia out of the entrapment in Debaltseve. The names of the new "accused" are published on the official website of the Investigative Committee of Russia.

“They carried out aimed shelling from heavy weapons on civilian infrastructure objects that are not military targets in the populated areas of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. As a result of these attacks two people were killed, 20 received various injuries, more than 100 residential houses and other facilities were destroyed and damaged,“the statement said.

Also the Investigative Committee indicted Commander of the 54 separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Lt. Colonel Volodymyr Gorbatyuk. According to the Committee, Gorbatyuk was directing shelling of Petrovsky district of Donetsk city, in which a local resident got shrapnel wounds.

The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under Part. 1, Article 356 of the Criminal Code of Russian Federation (the use of prohibited means and methods of warfare).

Also the Investigative Committee explained why they were investigating the events in Ukraine:

“The Investigative Committee is investigating these crimes, as guided by international law and Russian legislation that allows instituting criminal proceedings foreign citizens who have committed crimes outside the country, if they were not punished for it”.